Qantas unions forge alliances of their own

Qantas’ push to forge partnerships with Emirates and a host of other international airlines has prompted one of the unions that wreaked havoc on the Australian flag carrier last year to chase an alliance of its own.

The Transport Workers’ Union, one of the three unions which led industrial action against Qantas that ended in the decision to ground the airline, is working with the Transport Workers Union of America to co-ordinate strategy and potentially joint industrial campaigns.

The formal link between the two unions, which includes a greater tie up with Britain’s Unite union, is aimed at limiting job losses or the deterioration in conditions they say could arise from the consolidation of airlines globally.

“We’re only really scratching the surface of where we think we can work together in more of a global network of unions," TWUA president Jim Little told TheAustralian Financial Review.

The tie-up could involve co-ordinated industrial action in the US, Britain and Australia against the oneworld group of airlines “if necessary", he said.

Apart from Qantas, the oneworld alliance includes British Airways and American Airlines, with the US carrier laying off thousands of staff under bankruptcy protection.

“Joint campaigns are one part. The other part is being able to share some of the [workplace] practices we’ve developed and see what’s happened in Australia," Mr Little said.

The TWUA was successful in lifting the percentage of maintenance work performed in-house at American from 72 per cent to more than 90 per cent, after it brought in an external management consultant to lead engagement with management, Mr Little said.

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In Australia, aviation unions including the TWU and groups representing pilots, cabin crew and maintenance workers banded in 2010 to form the Australian Aviation Unions Federation (AUF). The federation was weakened by the hostile departure of the Flight Attendants Association of Australia last month, with secretary Jo-Ann Davidson saying the TWU had not honoured union principles by poaching FAAA members to bolster its ranks.

The remaining AUF unions are backing a $1 million campaign to legislate for Australian wages and conditions being applied to any airline employee that works in Australian air space, among other claims.

If successful, the claim would increase the minimum rates of pay several fold for cabin crew employed by international airlines flying to Australia as well as forcing Qantas to lift the salary of foreign-employed staff.

“I don’t think Australia needs to have Middle East laws in this country, or totalitarian laws in this country," TWU national secretary
Tony Sheldon
said in relation to what he says is under-payment and harsher working conditions of foreign crew.

Mr Sheldon said more co-operation between the unions, within Australia and offshore, was the only way to increase the proportion of jobs at Qantas done by full-time, union-represented employees.

Qantas’ head of government and corporate affairs, Olivia Wirth, said Fair Work Australia had “ruled against the TWU and Mr Sheldon" by throwing out claims that would have limited the company’s ability to use labour hire.

“The reality is Qantas has good relationships with our 30,000-plus workforce and the majority of unions which represent them," Ms Wirth said.

There are 19 enterprise agreements in the Qantas supply chain, including baggage handlers and catering staff, coming up for negotiation within two years, the TWU said.

“Rather than trying to be smart and creative, Qantas are taking the low road," Mr Sheldon said. “We need to legislatively change that, and I believe we have the capacity to change that."